Canada decides to increase wages for essential workers

Canada government has announced to boost the pay of frontline and essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic in a $4 BN Canadian dollar ($2.85 BN USD) deal.

“The bottom line is this: if you’re risking your health to keep this country moving and you’re making minimum wage, you deserve a raise,” Trudeau said during his daily news conference.”

Trudeau's government hammered out an agreement with provinces and territories to spend more than $3 BN and raise wages for essential workers making less than about $1,800 a month.

"We know, however, that once we get through this, in the months and years to come, we're also going to have to have reflections about how we manage and how we maintain our long-term care facilities, how we support essential workers who are very low paid, how we move forward as a society to make sure that our vulnerable are properly taken care of and properly rewarded for the important work they do."

A spokesperson for Trudeau's office told the Global News the deal is “related to the pandemic,” highlighting that the provinces have already set out such deadlines themselves.

The Saskatchewan government recently announced that employees making less than $2,500 a month while working with vulnerable people are eligible for a top-up of $400 a month for 16 weeks, which includes employees at care homes, daycares and shelters.

Ontario has worked on a $4-per-hour increase for frontline workers at care homes, retirement homes and emergency shelters, among other facilities. The increase would be valid until sometime in August.